Malone, Jordan Top Voting For All-Nba
The honors keep rolling in for Karl Malone and Michael Jordan. Malone, the Utah Jazz’s power forward and NBA’s Most Valuable Player, and Jordan, the Chicago Bulls’ All-Star guard and league’s nine-time scoring champion, were unanimous selections to the All-NBA first team announced Wednesday.
Malone, a unanimous choice for the second time, and Jordan, selected unanimously for the fourth time, each received first-team votes from all 115 sports writers and broadcasters who participated in the balloting.
Joining them on the first team were Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon at center, Detroit’s Grant Hill at forward and Miami’s Tim Hardaway at guard.
Malone and Jordan were the only players named on all the ballots and had 575 points in the voting based on a 5-3-1 point score for first, second and third team.
Malone also was a unanimous selection in the 1988-89 season. Jordan previously was picked unanimously in the 1987-88, 1992-93 and 1995-96 seasons.
This is the ninth first-team selection for Malone and Jordan, the sixth for Olajuwon, and the first for Hill and Hardaway.
Seattle guard Gary Payton led the second team with 42 first-team votes and 386 points. He was followed by Chicago forward Scottie Pippen with 337 points, New York center Patrick Ewing with 327, Charlotte forward Glen Rice with 316 and Sacramento guard Mitch Richmond with 198.
The third team was comprised of forwards Anthony Mason of Charlotte and Vin Baker of Milwaukee, center Shaquille O’Neal of the Los Angles Lakers, and guards John Stockton of Utah and Anfernee Hardaway of Orlando.
Hawks tell Magic ‘No!’
The Atlanta Hawks have apparently nixed any attempt to lure coach Lenny Wilkens to the Orlando Magic.
The Magic asked for and were denied permission to talk to Wilkens, Hawks general manager Pete Babcock told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“I said ‘No,”’ Babcock said.
The Magic have offered Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson a five-year, $30 million salary. Jackson, however, told the Magic he would wait until the NBA playoffs are over before considering the offer.
Collins wants more
Detroit Pistons coach Doug Collins is negotiating for a new contract that could double his salary, according to a report in the Detroit Free Press.
Earlier reports said Collins might be leaving the team, with health reasons fueling the speculation. Collins has been bothered by a stomach ailment, lack of sleep and improper diet.
Celtics make fans pay
The Boston Celtics raised 1997-98 season ticket prices 6.2 percent, two weeks after signing Rick Pitino to a 10-year, $50 million contract to run the team. The season tickets, which go on sale today, were raised to an average price of $42.29 from $39.83. The Celtics said they already received requests for more than 1,200 new season tickets since Pitino was signed.